Method of and apparatus for delivering sheets



Mamh 31,-1942.. A. P. BAMFORD ET AL METHOD OF AND AFPARATUS FOR DELIVERING SHEETS 4 Sheets-Sheet l Fil ed Aug. 3, 1940 INVENTORS ATTORNEY mm A. PBAMFORD ETM.

METHob OF AND APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING SHEETS 7 Filed Aug. 3, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR firm/x? P EAMFORD Jay/v 7.- Q0240 i www ATTORNEY v March 31, W42. A. P. BAMFORD ET AL METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING SHEETS Filed Aug. 3, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet Mm'ch BL W42 A. P. BAMFOIRD ET AL METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING SHEETS Fil'ed Aug. 3, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTORNEY INVENTORS A WHU/P/QEAMm/m Q JOHN Z'A /TZAU N Q55 EEWJM' Patented Mar. 31, 1942 METI IOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING SHEETS Arthur P. Bamiord, Millburn, and John T. Ritzau, Clifton, N. J., assignors, by mesne assignments; to Inter-chemical Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Ohio Application August 3, 1940, SerialNo. 350,308

15 Claims.

This invention relates to delivery apparatus for rotary web printing presses and aims to provide an improved apparatus of this character which will function efiiciently with a high speed rotary web printing press. More particularly, the invention contemplates the provision of a delivery apparatus which is adapted to receive and collect a plurality of sheets at normal press speed and then release the collected sheets and 'deliver them at a greatly reduced speed;

Recently great advances have been made in the construction of rotary web printing presses for the production of cartons, bags, wrappers, labels and the like (hereinafter referred to as the commercial field") so that there are now available for this purpose rotaryweb printing presses which operate eiilciently at speeds of from 400 to 600 feet per minute. With such presses a-web of paper of from 20 to 36 inches in width may be printed in one or more colors withiany desired label design, for example, and subsequently cut into sheets of any desired size. While press speeds of from 400 to 600 feet per minute are not uncommon in the publication field and sheeters, folders and delivery apparatus for this special field areavailable, these sheeters and delivery apparatus are not entirely suitable for the commercial field, with the result that many problems have been encountered in the handling of such printed materials produced at the high speeds now possible. For example, if the sheets cut from the web are of comparatively large size and thin paper stock, they tend to wrinkle readily and are of such light weight that they are very difficult to handle when delivered at high speed. Gravity alone cannot be counted on to move one delivered sheet out of the path of the next succeeding sheet. Moreover, due to the staticelectricity which accumulates in such sheets, the ordinary grippers and carrying cylinders cannot be effectively used.

stantially the same speed as the printing press and cutter so that the sheets may be fed thereto and collected in any desired number, the number collected in any instance depending upon the speed of operation of the printing press and the maximum speed at which sheets of the size and weight then being treated may be effectively delivered. For example, if the printing press is operating at a speed of 400 feet per minute upon a paper web substantially inches wide, we have found it desirable to collect ten sheets before passing them to the delivery part of the apparatus which, it will be understood, may be operated at substantially one-tenth the speed of the collecting cylinder and the printing press. Thus, by altering the number of sheets collected on the collecting cylinder, we are able to regulate the actual speed of delivery of said sheets.

The apparatus we have provided for accomplishing this desirable result may comprise a first set of receiving conveyor tapes arranged adjacent the rotary cutter and adapted to have the sheets fed thereto successively as they are cut. Should it be desired to have the sheets spaced for feeding to the collecting cylinder, the receiving conveyor tapes may be operated at a somewhat higher speed than the speed of the printing press. A collecting cylinder is positioned adiacent the receiving conveyor tapes in position to have the sheets fed thereto and held thereon by suitable sheet holding tapes. The size and speed of rotation of the collecting cylinder with respect to the speed of operation of the receiving We have found'that the above and other difliculties encountered in the handling and delivering of comparatively large and thin sheets of.

cut from a freshly printed traveling web by any suitable type of rotary cutter are fed successively in predetermined spaced relation to a rotating collecting cylinder. The feeding means and collecting cylinder are rotated or operated at subconveyor tapes is such that the sheets will be collected andheld thereon one over the other in a uniform stack. Whennine sheets have been collected on the collecting cylinder and the leading edge of the tenth sheet is in register with the leading edge of the nine collected sheets,

we have provided means for releasing all ten sheets and feeding them to a set of delivery tapes arranged adjacent the collectingcylinder at the delivery side thereof. Means are provided for rotating the delivery conveyor tapes at the desired delivery speed for actual delivery of a collected stack or group of sheets. However, means are provided for operating said delivery tapes at a speed substantially equal to the speed of the collecting cylinder and the receiving conveyor tapes for a length of time sufiicient to permit the entire group of collected sheets to be removed or unloaded from the collecting cylinder. At the end of this time the speed of the delivery tapes is reduced to delivery speed and the collected group of sheets are ejected upon a vertically forming stack at the exit end thereof.

The above and other features and objects of our invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a diagrammatic side elevational view of one form of apparatus embodying the essential features of our invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of a portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, illustrating the details of the means for releasing the collected sheets so that they may be fed to the delivery conveyor;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic detail view showing the arrangement of the sheets as they are about to be unloaded from the collecting cylinder;

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of part of the apparatus shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a plan view, with certain parts omitted and others in section for the sake of clarity, of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of a portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, illustrating the detail of the driving mechanism for the delivery conveyor tapes.

We have chosen to illustrate our invention embodied in one practical form of apparatus for receiving horizontally disposed sheets, collecting ten of said sheets and delivering a group of ten collected sheets. to a vertically forming stack at a speed of substantially one-tenth the printing press speed. It will be understood, however, that the apparatus may be adjusted and arranged to collect any desired number of sheets depending upon the size thereof and the speed of operation of the printing press.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly Fig. 1, it will be observed that a web W which has been printed in any desired number of colors in a printing press P is fed therefrom in any conventional manner .to a rotating cutting apparatus A which includes, in the form illustrated, an upper cutting cylinder lil carrying a cutting blade I2 and cooperating with a lower stationary blade I l so as to cut the traveling web W into a plurality of sheets S. Simultaneously with thecutting of the web into the sheets S, said sheets are fed into and gripped by a receiving conveyor R which forms the first section or stage of our improved delivery apparatus. This receiving conveyor R preferably operates at a linear sheet speed approximately 15% greater than thespeed of movement of the web W through the printing unit and cutter A so that the sheets S will be spaced one from another as they are moved by the conveyor R to the second section or stage of collecting'means or cylinder C. The collecting cylinder C is of such size and rotating at such a speed that it may collect a plurality of the sheets S on the surface thereof. In the form of the apparatus shown, when nine sheets have been collected in proper registry on the surface of the collecting cylinder C and the leading edge of the tenth sheet S is in line or register with the leading edges of the stack or group of collected sheets on the cylinder, the collected sheets will be released or unloaded from the collecting cylinder and passed or fed with the tenth sheet into a delivery conveyor D. The delivery conveyor D normally operates at approximately one-tenth the the delivery apparatus which comprises a rotating 1 collected group of sheets is unloaded from said cylinder and fed to the delivery conveyor. When this is completed the speed is again reduced and the conveyor D feeds the collected group of sheets along a substantially horizontal path and ejects or releases them upon a delivery table T where they are formed in a substantially vertically arranged stack for ready removal by the operator.

As best shown in Figs. 1 and 5, our improved delivery apparatus including the receiving conveyor R, the collecting cylinder C, and the deliveryconveyor D and table T, comprises a pair of spaced side frames I6, I6 mounted on a suit able base (not shown) and provided with bearings for the shafts of all of the rotating parts and supports for the various operating parts of the complete apparatus. The receiving conveyor R includes a lower set of endless belts or tapes ill. The operative or conveying reach of the tapes I8 extends from a set of left-hand supporting rollers 20, positioned beneath the cutting cylinder A and mounted on a shaft journalled in the side frames or an extension thereof, to a right-hand set of rollers 22 positioned adjacent the left-hand side of the collecting cylinder C and mounted on a shaft supported by the side frames 16. A third roller 24 and a driving roller 26 complete the support for the tapes I8 and any one or more of the rollers may be adjustably mounted for varying the tension in said tapes l8. Cooperatively mounted or positioned above the lower set of conveyor tapes I8 is an upper set of conveyor tapes 28 having an operative or conveying reach substantially the same as that for the lower tapes I8 but offset to the right therefrom and extending between'a left-hand set of rollers 30, positioned to the right of the rollers 2t and adjacent the cutting cylinder I0, and a right-hand set of rollers 32 mounted on a movable shaft 34 positioned above and to the right of the center of the collecting cylinder C. Additional rollers 36 and 38 and a larger driving roller All complete the support for the upper sets of conveyor tapes 2B. As with the lower sets of tapes l8, any one or more of the supporting rollers for the upper set of tapes may beadjustably mounted for varying the tension in the 'upper tapes 28.

which is approximately 15% greater than the speed of the web W through the printing apparatus P. This is accomplished by rotating the shafts of the rollers supporting the upper and lower sets of conveyor tapes l8 and 28, such as the shafts of the driving rollers 26 and 40, at

speed of the collecting cylinder C., but is constructed and arranged to be operated at the same speed as said cylinder during the time that the the desired rotative speed, in any conventional manner, to produce'such a surface speed for the sheets S. In this way, the sheets S will, in effect, be pulled away from the cutter A and, since moving at a greater surface speed than the web W, will be spaced one, from another in their passage between the upper and lower conveyor tapes I! and 28 so that they may be fed successively thereby to the collecting cylinder C.

Collectingcylinder C comprises a large cylindrical member-"42 (Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5) mounted on a shaft 44 journaled in suitable bearings provided in the side frames l5, l6 and having suitable driving gears 46 mounted on one end thereof for rotation of said cylinder at the desired speed. The cylindrical member 42 comprises a plurality of cylindrical sections 48, corresponding in width and number with the width-and number of conveyor tapes 28 and spaced from one another by a plurality of grooves 50. If desired, the outside surfaces of the cylindrical sections 48may be knurled or otherwise roughened so as to provide proper frictional contact of the various conveyor tapes and/or collected sheets therewith; A set of conveying and sheet retaining tapes 52 is arranged in cooperative engagement with the cylindrical sections 48 of the collecting cylinder C. These sheet retaining tapes 52 are maintained in operative contact with the major portion of the the associated grooves BI! and moving the guide rollers 32 to an upper position out of contact with the surface of the collecting cylinder. When these movements take place the parts will assume the positions shown in Fig. 2, where it will be observed that the sheet guiding and unloading members 66 are provided with flat upperfguiding cylindrical surface by a left-hand set of guide rollers 54, positioned between the rollers 22 and the cylinder surface, and a right-hand set of v rollers 56 positioned directly adjacent to the rollers 32. The endless tapes 52 move at the same a surface speed as the collecting cylinder C and,

when said cylinder is rotating in a clockwise direction, said tapes pass from the guide rollers 56 around the surfaces of the cylindrical sections 48 to the rollers 54, then around a driving and/or guide roller58, an adjustable guide roller 60 and guide rollers 62 and 84 which lead the'tape back to the first set of rollers 56. All of said'rollers 58, 50,52 and 54 are postioned below the center of the collecting cylinder C. and maintain the tapes 52 out of contact therewith.

In Fig. 1 it .will be apparent that as the receiving conveyor tapes I8 and 28 feed a sheet -S toward the collecting cylinder C, the operative assured by means of a plurality of sheet guiding and unloading members 68 which are mounted on a shaft 58 positioned adjacent the shaft for the guide roller 56 (Fig. 1) and pivotally mounted in the side frames I5, I6. As'shown in Figs. 4 and 5, each of the sheet guiding and unloading members 65 is provided with a lower curved section III corresponding substantially to the curvature of the cylindrical sections .48 and arranged directly above one of the grooves 50. The cylindrical portion ll of each of the members 56 is normally positioned radially beyond the cylindrical surfaces 48 and extends preferably from a point directly above the center of the collecting cylinder C and em 52 to a position beyond the guide rollers 58 cylinder C) and they thus provide surfaces which tend to prevent the leading edges of the sheets 8 from being deflected or otherwise moved from the surfaces 48 of the collecting cylinder. It will be apparent, therefore, that as the collecting cylinder C rotates at proper speed and the sheets 8 are fed thereto from the receiving conveyor tapes it they will be collected upon the surface one over another to form a stack or group of collected sheets which may subsequently be unloaded or delivered to the delivery coi veyor D.

To unload a group of collected shefis'frcm the surface of the collecting cylinder C at the proper time and'insure their passing to the delivery conveyor D, we haveprovided mechanism formoving the guiding and unloading members "into surfaces 12 which terminate at the left-hand end thereof in curved guiding fingers I4, and the sheets S will thereby be caused to pass over the guiding surfaces 12 to the delivery conveyor D.

For effecting the movement of the sheet guiding'and unloading member 66 into the grooves I 50. of the collecting cylinder, the shaft 68 for said member 56 has a crank arm 18 mounted thereon and extending upwardly therefrom. The upper end of the arm I6 is pivotally connected by means of a link" with an upper arm 80 of a bell crank lever 82. Bell crank lever 82 may one end thereof extends beyond the side frames be pivoted at 84 to the side frame I6, or mounted on a suitable shaft supported between the side frames, and is provided with asubstantially horizontally disposed arm for carrying a cam roller 88 which is adapted to be actuated by a high point or actuating surface 90 provided on a cam 92. Cam 92 is mounted on a cam shaft 9.4 which is 'Journaled in suitable bearings provided in the side frames I6, I6 (Fig. 5) and at where it may be provided with suitable driving means 96 for rotating said cam shaft 94 at the desired speed. .This speed, as has been mentioned above, depends upon the number of sheets to be collected upon the collecting cylinder C and, in the present instance for the collection of ten sheets, will be approximately one-tenth the speed of rotation of the shaft 44 of the collecting cylinder C. The high point 90 of the cam 92 is positioned to cause the bell crank lever 82 to be turned in a counter-clockwise direction so that the members 65 will be moved into the rooves when nine sheets have been collected upon the collecting cylinder and the leading edge of the tenth sheet is in register with-the leading edge of the nine collected sheets, as shown in 1 Fig. 3. The length of the high point 90 0f the to the left of the guide roll- (in the. direction of rotation of the collecting cam 92 is such that the parts will be maintained in the Fig. 2 position until the collected sheets.

are completelyremoved from the collecting cylinder C and are moved beyond or to the right of the roller 32. Then the parts may be moved back to the Fig. 1 normal position, such as by the action of a suitable spring 98 connected to the upper arm 80 of the bell crank lever 82 and tending to urge said bell crank in a clockwise direction, before another sheets is fed to the collecting cylinder C for collection of another group or stack of sheets.

Rollers 32 are moved to the Fig. 2 position by a mechanism very similar to that Just described for moving themembers 56. As shown in Figs. 2 'and 4, the shaft 34 for each roller 32 is supported by a yoke I00. attached to the end of an arm I02 fixed upon a shaft I'II4 which is rotatably mounted in the side frame I6, I5. An upwardly extending crank arm I08 is keyed upon the shaft I04 and pivotally connected by 'means of a link I0! with an upper arm III! of a bell crank lever II2 similar to the lever 82. Bell crank lever H2 is also pivotally mounted in any convenient manner and has another arm II4 upon which is mounted a cam roller IIS adapted to be actuated by a high point III of point 900! the cam 92 and positioned rotatively to cause the bell crank lever II2 to be moved in a counter-clockwise direction to move the rollers 32 to the Fig. 2 position, at the same time that the members 62 are moved, and to maintain said rollers in the Fig. 2 position until the unloaded group of sheets S is clear thereof. Suitable springs I22 cause the parts associated with the rollers 32 to be moved back to the Fig. 1 position when the roller II6 passes oil the high point of the cam I20.

From the description thus far, it will be understood that as the web W is cut into individual sheets S by the operation of the cutter A, the individual sheets S will be gripped between the upper and lower sets of conveyor tapes 28, I8, respectively, of the receiving conveyor R and fed one by one to the collecting cylinder C. Due to the fact that said conveyor tapes I8 and 28 are moving at a surface speed greater, by a predetermined amount, than the speed of the web W, the sheets S will be spaced in their travel from the cutter to the collecting cylinder, the spacing for any size of sheet and speed of operation of the entire apparatus being such that each subsequent sheet will arrive at the collecting cylinder C with its leading edge in register with the leading edges of the sheets which have been collected on said collecting cylinder. This takes place with the parts of the apparatus in the position shown in Fig. 1. When nine sheets have been collected upon the collecting cylinder C and the leading edge of the tenth sheet is in register with the leading edges of the collected sheets, as illustrated in Fig. 3, the cams 92 and I20 will have rotated to a position where the rollers 88 and H6 will be ready to move to the high points 90 and H8, respectively, of said cams. This causes the rollers 32 and the sheet guiding and unloading members 66 to move to the Fig. 2 and 3 positions so that the nine collected sheets and the tenth sheet may be moved from the collecting cylinder to the delivery conveyor D. Movement of the ten sheets from the Fig. 3 position into the delivery conveyor D for subsequent feeding to the delivery table T is caused by the frictional contact of the sheets with the conveyor tapes 28, as they pass around the roller 32, and with the surfaces of the cylindrical sections 48 of the collecting cylinder, and the collected group of ten sheets will pass over the flat guiding surfaces 12 of the members 66 to the delivery conveyor D.

As shown in Fig. 1, the delivery conveyor D comprises a lower set of tapes I24 which have their operative conveying path or reach defined by means of a left-hand set of rollers I26, positicned adjacent the rollers 56 and mounted on the shaft 68, and a right-hand set of guide and/or feed rollers I28 positioned adjacent the delivery table T. The remainder of the path of the endless conveyor tapes I24 is provided by means of sets of guide rollers I30, I32 and I34, any one orall of which may be adjustable to vary the tension in the tapes; all are positioned so that the lower reach of the tapes will pass clear of the cams and cam shaft 34. An upper set of conveyor tapes I36 is cooperatively arranged above the lower tapes I24 and has its operative conveying reach or path'deflned by a left-hand set of rollers. I38, mounted adjacent the rollers 32 and above the rollers I26, and a-right-hand set of rollers I40 positioned above the rollers I28. An upper and substantially centrally disposed set set of tapes I36 whose tension may be adjusted by means of suitable adjustable tension rollers I 44 mounted on arms I46 attached to a shaft I48 journaled in the side frame I6, I6.

As has been pointed out above, the linear speed of movement of the conveyor tapes I24 and I36 of the delivery conveyor D is determined by the speed of operation of the collecting cylinder C and the number of sheets collected thereon. Since the collecting cylinder C will make, in the instance described herein, nine revolutions before a group of sheets is delivered to the delivery conveyor D and a tenth revolution before starting to collect another group of sheets, the normal surface speed of the conveyor tapes I24 and I36 will be approximately one-tenth that of the surface speed of the collecting cylinder. However, we have found it desirable to increase the speed of the delivery tapes I24 and I36 during that portion of the cycle of operation during which the group of ten collected sheets is fed thereto, at the surface speed of the collecting cylinder and conveyor tapes 28,

- in order to prevent the sheets from buckling and assure their proper feeding into and reception by said delivery tapes I 24 and I36. To accomplish ths two speed operation of the conveyor tapes I and I24, we have provided the special driving mechanism shown in Figs. 5 and 6 where it will be observed that the rollers I 28 are mounted on a shaft I50 on which is mounted a miter gear I52. This miter gear I52 meshes with a miter gear I54 mounted on an auxiliary drive shaft I56 which, through a chain of gears I58, is operativeof rollers I42 completes thepath of the upper ly connected for rotation with a gear I60 mounted on a main drive shaft I6-2. The speed of rotation of the shaft I62 and the characteristics of the gears I58 are such that shaft I56 will be rotated at the desired normal speed of one-tenth the surface speed of the collecting cylinder C. For example, shaft I62 may be rotated at the increased speed corresponding to the surface speed of the collecting cylinder C and the gears I 58 may provide a ten to one reduction so that the shaft I56 will so rotate as to provide a surface speed in the conveyor tapes I 24 and I36 which is one-tenth the surface speed of the collecting cylinder C. For increasing the speed of rotation of the shaft I56 when the group of sheets is delivered thereto, said shaft I 56 may be provided with a second train of gears I64 which mesh with asrgormally idling gear I66 mounted on the shaft A clutch mechanism I68 is provided on shaft I62 to place the chain of gears I66, I64 into operation at the desired time; and a clutch I10 is provided on shaft I56 in association with the chain of gears I58 to disengage said gears when the higher speed is desired. Clutch I10 is disengaged by a movement to the left along the shaft I56 and clutch I68 is engaged with the gear I66 by a movement to the right along the shaft I62. These movements are arranged to take place simultaneously at the same time that the rollers 32 are moved to their upper Fig. 2 position and the guide and unloading members 66 are moved into the grooves 50. This is effected by means of a suitable yoke I12 associated with the clutch I16 and pivotally connected to one arm of a bell crank lever I14. Bell crank lever I14 is pivoted at I16 and has its other arm pivotally connected to one end of an operating link I18 which has its other .end provided with a fork Ill slidably engaging a suitable block I82 rotatably mounted on the shaft 84. Operating link I18 is also provided with a cam roller I84 which is adapted to engage a high point I86 provided on a suitable am as: mounted on the cam shaft 94. Clutch I is urged into engaging position by means of a suitable spring I90 connected with an arm provided on the bell crank lever I14 and tending to urge it in a counter-clockwise direction.

Similarly, clutch I68 is moved into engagement with the gear I66 by means of a yoke I92 provided thereon and actuated by a lever I94. Lever I94 is mounted on a stub shaft I96 which extends through and is journaled in the side frame IS.

A lever arm I98 is mounted on the outside end of the stub shaft I56 and pivotally connected to an operating link 2llllsimilarly to the operating link I18. Operating link 200 is provided with a cam roller 202 which is adapted to engage and be actuated by a high point 204 provided on a cam 206 mounted on thecam shaft 94. Clutch I68 is normally urged into non-engaging position by means of a suitable spring mechanism 208 associated with an arm. 2) provided on the shaft I96.

Itwill be apparent that bythe driving means above described for the shaft I50 of the conveyor tape rollers I28, the delivery conveyor D will normally operate at a speed of one-tenth the surface speed of the collecting cylinder C but .will.

' Moreover, various other changes may be made in the construction and certain features thereof may be employed without others, without departing from our invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

What we claim is:

l. A method of delivering at. reduced speed a plurality of sheets cut from a web traveling at high speed, which comprises feeding the sheets to a .collecting point and there collecting a predetermined number of sheets, discharging the collected group of sheets at 'a speed substantially equal to the speed of travel of the web,

be speeded up to have the same surface speed as said collecting cylinder during the portion of the cycle of' operation that a groupof ten sheets S is fed thereto while the unloadingoperation of the collecting cylinder C is taking place. Thus,-

a group of ten sheets collected on the collecting cylinder C will be fed to the delivery-conveyor D and the tapes I24 and I36 thereof will be operated at the same surface speed as the collecting cylinder C until said group of sheets is free of the rollers 32. At that time all ofthe cam rollers 88, 6, I84 and 202 will move off the high points of their associated cams so that the rollers 32 and the guide and unloading members 66 will be moved back to normal Fig. 1 position and the clutch mechanisms will be moved to cause operative engagement of the gears I58 so that the delivery tapes will be reduced in speed to the normal speed of one tenth the surface speed of the collecting cylinder C. The group of sheets will then be fed at this slower normal speed and discharged at' the rollers I28 and I40 upon the delivery table T.

As shown in Fig. 1, the delivery table T comprises a substantially horizontally disposed supporting member 2I2 which is positioned to the rightand; beneath therollers I28 and I40 and provided with suitable adjustable guides 2 for retaining the sheets in proper position thereon. As each' group of collected sheets is discharged upon the delivery table T, the sheets are jogged into proper conformed or registered position in the vertically forming stack. by means of a rotatably mounted. log n plate 2l6.- This Jogging plate 2I6 may be given a rotating or oscillating movement by means of an operating member 2I8 which is connected to the upper end of a lever 220. Lever 220 is pivoted substantially, at the center thereof to one of the side frames 2 I and connected at' its lower end by means of a link 222 with a lever arm 224 mounted on a shaft,

228, An am 228 is also mounted on shaft 228 and provided at ltsouter end with a cam roller 23!! which is adapted to be actuated by a suitable cam 232 provided on the cam shaft 94 so as to produce the desired jogging movement of the plate 2I8 on the delivery table T.

From the foregoing description.

it will be ap- 1s reducing the speed of travel of the discharged group of sheets a predetermined amount, and' depositing said discharged group of sheets on a stack at such reduced speed. a

2. A method of delivering at reduced speed a.

plurality of sheets cut from a web traveling at high speed, (which comprises feeding the sheets one by one to a rotating collecting cylinder, collecting a predetermined number of sheets on said collecting cylinder and holding the collected group of sheets on said cylinder in conformed relation, unloading the collected group of sheets from said collecting cylinder at a speed substantially equal to the speed of travel of the web, gripping 'the collected group of sheets while they are being unloaded, reducing the speed of travel of the collected group of sheets by a predeter-' mined amount, and discharging the gripped collected group of sheets at such reduced speed.

3. A method of delivering, at reduced speed and in collected groups of predetermined number,

a'pluralityof sheets cut from a web traveling at high'speed, which comprises gripping-each sheet as it is cut and feeding it to a collecting cylinder which is rotating at a surface speed at least substantially equal to the speed of travel of the web; collecting in conformed relation on the surface of the collecting cylinder one less than said predetermined number of sheets; when the leading edge of the next sheet is in register with 1 the leadingedges of the collected group of sheets, causing the collected group of sheets toibe released from the cylinder surface so that they may be fed with said next sheet as a group of predetermined number; grippingsaid group of predetermined number and'feeding them at a speed at least substantially equal to the speed of travel of the'web; reducing the speed of travel of said group of predetermined number and discharging them at such reduced speed.

4. Apparatus of the character described comprising the combination with'means for cutting a travelling web into individual sheets, of a sheet collecting means, means for gripping the individual sheets as they are cut and feeding them to said sheet collecting means, means for conveying a group of collected sheets from said sheet collecting means to a point of delivery,

means for unloading-a group of collected sheetsfrom said collecting cylinder and feeding them to said sheet conveying means, means for operating said sheet collecting means and said sheet gripping and conveying means at a surface speed at least substantially equal to the speed of travel of the web, and means for operating said conveyingmeans at the speed of said sheet collecting means at the time when a group of collected sheets is unloaded,'and at a reduced speed at all other times.

5. Delivery apparatus comprising the combination of means for feeding sheets in spaced relation at a predetermined speed of travel; a sheet collecting cylinder having a plurality of spaced annular grooves in the outside surface thereof; sheet guiding and unloading means including a plurality of fingers normally disposed above the surface of said collecting cylinder and adapted to be moved into said annular grooves for removing the sheets collected on said cylinder; and means for moving the fingers of said sheet guiding and unloading means into said bination of means for feeding sheets in spaced relation at a predetermined speed of travel; a sheet collecting cylinder; means for operating said sheet collecting cylinder at such a surface speed that the sheets fed thereto may be collected in a conformed group thereon; means for unloading a collected group of sheets from said collecting cylinder; means positioned adjacent said collecting cylinder for receiving and conveying an unloaded group of sheets to a place of delivery; means for operating said conveying means at a surface speed substantially equal to that of the collecting cylinder during the time that a group of sheets is being unloaded; and means for operating said conveying means at a predetermined reduced speed at the time a collected group of sheets is deposited at the place 0 delivery.

7. Delivery apparatus comprising the combination of a first substantially horizontally disposed sheet conveying means adapted to receive sheets cut from a traveling web; a sheet collectlngcylinder positioned adjacent to and in cooperative relation with said flrst sheet conveying means for collecting in a conformed group a plurality of sheets which have been conveyed I posed sheet conveying means adapted to receive sheets cut from a .traveling web; a sheet collecting cylinder positioned adjacent to and in coop erative relation with said first sheet conveying means for collecting in a conformed group a plurality of sheets which have been conveyed thereto; a delivery table in alignment with and spaced from said sheet collecting cylinder; and a secondsubstantially horizontally disposed sheet conveying means positioned between said sheet collecting cylinder and said delivery table and adapted to receive collected groups of sheets from said collecting cylinder anddeposit them on said delivery table.

9. Delivery apparatus comprising the combination of a first substantially horizontally disposed sheet conveying means adapted to receive sheets cut from a traveling web; a sheet collecting cylinder positioned adjacent to and in cooperative relation with said first sheet conveying means for collecting in a conformed group a plurality of sheets which have been conveyed thereto; a delivery table in alignment with and spaced from said sheet collecting cylinder; a second substantially horizontally disposed sheet conveying means positioned between said sheet collecting cylinder and said delivery table and adapted to receive collected groups of sheets from said collecting cylinder and deposit them on said delivery table; and means for operating said second sheet conveying means normally at a slow surface speed and increasing the speed to that of the collecting cylinder during the time that a collected group of sheets is being unloaded 10. Delivery apparatus comprising the combination of a first substantially horizontally disposed sheet conveying means' adapted-to receive sheets cut from a traveling web; a sheet collecting cylinder positioned adjacent to and in cooperative relation with said first sheet conveying means for collecting in a conformed group a plurality of sheets which have been conveyed thereto; a delivery table in alignment with and spaced from said sheet collecting cylinder; a second sub- .stantially horizontally disposed sheet conveying surface thereof; means for operating said sheet collecting cylinder and its associated tapes at such a surface speed that the sheets fed thereto may be collected in a conformed group thereon; guiding and unloading means cooperating with said collecting cylinder and adapted to be moved to a position which will cause a collected group of sheets to be unloadedfrom said collecting cylinder; and means for moving said sheet guiding and unloading means to unloading position when a predetermined number of sheets has been collected on said collecting cylinder.

12. Delivery apparatus comprising the combination of means for feeding the sheets in spaced relation at a predetermined speed of travel; a sheet collecting cylinder; a feed roller for cooperating with said sheet collecting cylinder for insuring the proper feeding of sheets thereto and collection of sheets thereon; means for operating said sheet collecting cylinder at such a surface speed that the sheets fed thereto may be collected thereon in a conformed group; guiding and unloading means cooperating with said collecting cylinder and adapted to be moved to a position which will cause a collected group of sheets to be unloaded from said collecting cylinder; and means for moving said feed roller out of contact with said collecting cylinder and moving said sheet guiding and unloading means to unloading position when a predetermined number of sheets has been collected on said cylinder.

13. Delivery apparatus comprising the combination of means for feeding sheets in spaced relation at a predetermined speed of travel; a sheet collecting cylinder having a. plurality of spaced annular grooves in the outside surface thereof; a feed roller cooperating with said sheet collecting cylinder at the point at which the sheets are fed thereto; sheet guiding and unloading means including a plurality of fingers normally disposed above the surface of said collecting cylinder and adapted to be moved into said annular grooves for removing the sheets col lected on said cylnder; and means for moving said feed roller out of contact with said sheet collecting cylinder and moving the fingers of said sheet guiding and unloading means into said annular grooves when a predetermined number of sheets has been collected on said collecting cylinder.

14. Delivery apparatus comprising the combination of means for feeding sheets in spaced relation at a predetermined speed of travel; a sheet collecting cylinder; means for operating said sheet collecting cylinder at such a surface speed that the sheets led thereto may be collected in a conformed group thereon; means for unloading a collected group of sheets from said collecting cylinder; means positioned adjacent said collecting cylinder for receiving and conveying an unloaded group of sheets to a place of delivery: means' for normally operating said conveying means at a predetermined slow speed; and means for simultaneously moving the unloading means to sheet removing position and operating said conveying means at an increased surface speed which is substantially equal to that of the collecting cylinder during the time a group of sheets is being unloaded.

15. Delivery apparatus comprising the combination of means for feeding sheets in spaced relation at a predetermined speed of delivery; a sheet collecting cylinder; feeding means cooperating with said sheet collecting cylinder at the point at which the sheets are fed thereto; means for operating said sheet collecting cylinder at such a surface speed that the sheets fed thereto may be collected in a conformed group; means forunlcading a collected group of sheets from said collecting cylinder; means positioned adjacent said collecting cylinder for receiving and conveying an unloaded group of sheets to a place of delivery; means for normally operating said conveying means at a predetermined surface speed substantially slower than that of the collecting cylinder; and means for simultaneously moving said feeding means to an inoperative position, moving the unloading means to an operative csition for unloading a collected group of sheets. and causing said conveying means to be operated at an increased surface speed which is substantially equal to that of the collecting cylinder when a predetermined number of sheets has been collected on said collecting cylinder.

ARTHUR P. BAMFORD. 4 JOHN T. RITZAU.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION. Patent No. 2,278,188. March 51, 1911.2.

ARTHUR P. BAHFORD, ET AL.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above mimbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 6, second column, line-l6, claim 9, after "unloaded" insert the word and period --thereen.--; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correctiori therein that the same may conform to.the.'record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 29th day of September, A. D. 19142.

Henry Van Arsdale,

(Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

